Ventilated insulated cover for beehives



Nov. 21, 1950 coc JR 2,530,801

VENTILATED, INSULATED COVER FOR BEEHIVES Filed Dec. 14, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 5INVENTOR.

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JTTOIP/YfVS Nov. 21, 1950 H. BABCOCK, JR

VENTILATED, INSULATED COVER FOR BEEHIVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1948 Fig- .9

INVENTOR.

Mir/u 548C064; .74. BY

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JTTOIPIYEIS lll n l Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED VENTILATED, INSULATED COVER FOR BEEHIVES Havilah Babcock, Jr., Columbia, S. 0., assignor to Babcock Honey Company, a corporation of South Carolina Application December 14, 1948, Serial No. 65,223

6 Claims.

This invention relates to beehives and more particularly to a ventilated, insulated cover for beehives.

It is well known that in order to maintain the health and productiveness of bees, the beehive should be warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and free of harmful moisture. As an aid in attaining these beneficial conditions, it is de sirable to have a ventilated, insulated cover for the beehive. I

The common commercial types of ventilated, insulated covers have a number of disadvantages which restrict or prevent the attainment of the objects for which they are constructed. One of these disadvantages is the arrangement of the interior of the cover in such a manner that the bees either partially or wholly prevent ventilation by covering the surfaces having the ventilating means with wax. Another disadvantage is the provision of exterior outlets in the cover which expose to some extent the beehive to driving and slanting wind, rain, sleet, and snow.

In accordance with my invention, I have provided a cover in which a non-sagging, rigid insulation board having ventilating channels is enclosed between two metal sheets. The inner metal sheet is perforated so that the warm moist air rising from the bodies of the bees may pass therethrough. The smooth surface of the inner metal sheet prevents the deposit of wax, thereby keeping the inlet ventilating openings free and eliminating one of the usual disadvantages found in other types of covers. The rigid insulation board and the enclosing metal sheets are mounted on an open frame having ventilating openings in the bottom of the frame, thus providing all-weather outlets.

In addition to overcoming the disadvantages found in the usual types of Ventilated, insulated covers, one of the important features of my invention, not found in other types of covers, is the simplicity of construction which enables the cover to be shipped in knockdown form and to be assembled and disassembled with ease by the individual owners of the beehives using this type of cover. The simplicity of this knockdown construction results in economy of manufacture and in ease of replacement of damaged or worn out parts.

Any suitable lightweight, weather resistant metal may be used for the inner and outer metal sheets, such as aluminum or magnesium alloy. The rigid insulation board may be selected from a number of available materials, such as synthetic rubber, cork board or a rigid board made from bagasse. F

Briefly described, my ventilated, cover comprises an open frame having removably connected sections and downwardly extending passages providing openings to the atmosinsulated 2 phere in the bottom of the frame, a metal top adapted for covering the frame, a rigid insulation board positioned as a lining for the metal top and being provided with horizontally dis-. posed channels in communication with the downwardly extending passages of the frame, and a smooth metal sheet removably connected to the inner faces of the sections of the frame for retaining the rigid insulation board adjacent to the top and being provided with a plurality of perforations disposed in spaced relation to the channels of the rigid insulation board.

The invention is described more in detail below in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: 1

Fig. l is a perspective view partly in fragmentary cross-section of my ventilated, insulated cover in association with a beehive;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover partly in fragmentary cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on lin 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional detail corresponding to Fig. 4.

Referring at first to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the disposition of a ventilated, insulated cover I'll arranged in accordance with the present invention is shown in relation to the usual type of beehive. The cover Ill comprises an open frame H, a metal top I2, a rigid insulation board I3, and a smoother inner metal sheet l4.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame II is formed from end sections l5 and side sections [6 connected by a simple shouldered joint or by a mortise and tenon arrangement. The inner faces I! of the end sections l5 and side sections IS have downwardly extending passages l8 and a horizontally disposed groove [9. The downwardly extending passages l8 have tapered upper ends 20 and lower end outlets 2! opening to the atmosphere in the bottom 22 of the frame II.

The metal top H! has end portions 23 and side portions 24 bent at right angles to its main part 25 and is adapted to cover the open frame ll.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rigid insulation board l3 has in its underside 26 crosswise positioned channels 21 in communication with the downwardly extending passages 18 of the frame ll.

The inner metal sheet I4, asshown in Fig. 2, has a plurality of perforations 28 disposed in spaced relation to the channels 21 in the rigid insulation board [3. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the disposition of the metal sheet M in the horizontally disposed groove IQ of the frame I! so that the rigid insulation board I3 is retained adjacent to the main part 25 of the metal top l2.

As shown in Fig. 6, the warm moist air that emanates from the bodies of the bees in the beehive rises through the perforations 28 in the metal sheet l4, passes along the channels 27 in the rigid insulation board l3, and circulates downwardly through the downwardly extending passages l8 and outlet openings 2! in the bottom 22 of the frame 1 i into the atmosphere.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is a commercially advantageous example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising a metal covered frame adapted for snugly enclosing the upper part of the beehive, said frame having downwardly extending passages terminating in exterior openings; insulating means adapted as a lining for the top of the frame and being provided with horizontally extending grooves in communication with the downwardly extending passages of the frame; and a smooth substantially solid metal sheet connected to the frame and positioned for retaining the insulating means adjacent to the top of the frame, said smooth metal sheet being provided with a plurality of perforations disposed in spaced relation to the grooves in the insulating means, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the metal sheet, along the grooves in the insulating means, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

2. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising a metal covered frame adapted for snugly enclosing the upper part of the beehive, said frame being provided with downwardly eX- tending passages having their lower ends terminating in openings to the atmosphere in the bottom of the frame; a rigid insulation board adapted to fit snugly within the frame as a lining for the top of the frame, said rigid insulation board being provided with horizontally disposed channels in communication with the downwardly extending passages of the frame; and a smooth metal sheet connected to the frame and positioned for retaining the rigid insulation board adjacent to the top of the frame, said smooth metal sheet being provided with a plurality of perforations disposed in spaced relation to the channels in the rigid insulation board, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the metal sheet, along the channels in the rigid insulation board, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

3. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising an open frame, an outer metal sheet, a rigid insulation board, and an inner metal sheet; said frame being provided with downwardly extending passages having exterior openings; said outer metal sheet being adapted to cover the frame; said rigid insulation board being removably arranged in the frame in contact with the surfaces of the outer and inner metal sheets and being provided with horizontally extending grooves in communication with the downwardly extending passages of the frame; and said inner metal sheet being removably connected to the frame and being provided with perforations in spaced relation to the grooves in the rigid insulation board, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the inner metal sheet, along the grooves in the rigid insulation board, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

4. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising an open frame, an outer metal sheet, a rigid insulation board, and an inner metal sheet; said frame being provided with downwardly extending passages having openings to the atmosphere in the bottom of the frame; said outer metal sheet being adapted to cover the frame; said rigid insulation board being removably arranged in the frame, being sandwiched between the outer and inner metal sheets and being pro vided in its underside with crosswise positioned channels in communication with the downwardly extending passages of the frame; and said inner metal sheet being removably connected to the frame and being provided with perforations in spaced relation to the channels in the rigid insulation board, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the inner metal sheet, along the channels in the rigid insulation board, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

5. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising an open frame adapted for snugly enclosing the upper part of the beehive, said frame having removably connected side and end sections, the inner faces of the sections being provided with downwardly extending passages having their lower ends terminating in openings to the atmosphere in the bottom of the frame; a metal top adapted for covering the frame; a rigid insulation board adapted to fit snugly within the frame as a lining for the top, said rigid insulation board being provided in its underside with horizontally disposed channels in communication with the downwardly extending passages in the side and end sections of the frame; and a smooth metal sheet removably connected to the frame and positioned for retaining the rigid insulation board adjacent to the top, said smooth metal sheet being provided with a plurality of perforations disposed in spaced relation to the channels in the underside of the rigid insulation board, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the metal sheet, along the channels in the rigid insulation board, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

6. A ventilated, insulated cover for a beehive comprising an open frame adapted for snugly enclosing the upper part of thebeehive, said frame having removably connected side and end sections, the inner faces of the sections being provided with downwardly extending passages and a horizontally disposed groove, said passages having their upper ends tapered and their lower ends terminating in openings to the atmosphere in the bottom of the frame; a top formed from a rectangular metal blank, said top having end and side portions bent at right angles to the main part of the blank and being adapted for covering the frame; a rigid insulation board adapted to fit snugly within the frame as a lining for the top, said rigid insulation board being provided in its underside with crosswise positioned channels in communication with the downwardly extending passages in the side and end sections of the frame; and a smooth metal sheet positioned in the horizontall disposed groove in the side and end sections of the frame for retaining the rigid insulation board adjacent to the top, said smooth metal sheet being provided with a plu- 5 rality of perforations disposed in spaced relation to the channels in the underside of the rigid insulation board, whereby the warm moist air that rises in the beehive may pass through the perforations in the metal sheet, along the channels in the rigid insulation board, and through the passages and openings of the frame into the atmosphere.

HAVILAH BABCOCK, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are or record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Spinney Sept. 26, 1865 Walker Dec. 27, 1870 Hill Sept. 29, 1874 Danzenbaker June 26, 1894 Stickney Feb. 23, 1897 Danzenbaker Dec. 29, 1914 Magoon Nov. 23, 1926 Brown July 28, 1931 Wilson Oct. 8, 1935 Diehnelt Feb. 28, 1950 

